The Columbia Pike Documentary Project is a multi-disciplinary history of Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA, one of Americas most-ethnically diverse communities.
Paula Endo, Lloyd Wolf, Mimi Xang Ho, Duy Tran, Aleksandra Lagkueva, and other team members have been using photography and oral history to document life along the Pike.
The project is sponsored by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization
Contact: Lloyd Wolf- lloydwolf@lloydwolf.com or www.pikedoc.org

Sunday, February 26, 2012

William Jeffreys Tavern, which opened at 2301 Columbia Pike in December 2011, features a Prohibition-era theme, and an eclectic menu.Co-owner Adam Lubar is pictured, along with some of the staff, commissioned artwork, and rooms.703-746-6333Photography by Lloyd Wolf.

Pedro & Vinny's Burritos began as a food cart business, and now also has a successful restaurant operation.Pictured are franchise owner Roger, who grew up in Arlington along the Pike, with his mother Yolanda, originally from Bolivia.They offer fresh Mexican and other fare at 2599 Columbia Pike, Arlington VA 22204 703-302-3999.

Other CPDP photographs of the restaurant exterior can can be seen here.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Senor Pan Restaurant, recently opened just off Columbia Pike at 922 S. Walter Reed Drive, specializes in Columbian and other South American cuisine, and offers beautiful pastries from their in-house bakery.

The manager, Juan Chicas, who came to Arlington from El Salvador in 1984, and other members of the staff are pictured.

Co-owner Andres Vives came to to the US to study at Cornell in 1998, and is now a vice-president at CapitalOne.

Dennis Jaffe is the new executive director of BRAVO, a tenants rights organization in Arlington.

Board President Charles Rinker describes BRAVO’s realigned priorities as to educate, engage and empower tenants. “Historically, BRAVO has been dedicated to responding effectively to tenants’ pressing needs that are really about the here and now. We remain committed to serving that purpose, as we launch new initiatives to increase tenants’ civic participation and their visibility throughout Arlington.”

In an interview, Dennis Jaffe said “I have a personal mission, which I bring to my job, and that is to increase tenants’ connectedness to each other and to the Arlington community...For folks who are most struggling financially, who traditionally feel less empowered in society, and who are not connected technologically, we have to work that much harder at helping them to connect with their neighbors and to integrate into the Arlington civic community. Because tenants are not as tied down to where they live, they may not be as quick to get involved civically. We’re committed to changing that. It’s crucial to our county’s long-term diversity.”